Fort Worth City Council

Welcome to Ultraground. We watch waiver requests for you.

January 23, 2024 City Council

District: 3 | Far Southwest

710 Acres of 5,181-Acre Mixed-use | 11701 US Hwy 377 S | Approved

You saved: 3h 49m

DISTRICT: 3

Veale Ranch 11701 US Hwy 377 S

Far Southwest | 710.37 Acres (of 5,181.92 Total) | Approved

City Council approved PMB Cap’s Veale Ranch site plan waiver despite Zoning Commission’s unanimous denial.

First some background on the project:

Veale Ranch is a massive mixed-use development totaling 5,181 acres on the southwest outskirts of Fort Worth. The area being rezoned is 710 acres within city limits along Highway 377.
The concept plan shows mostly single-family housing, with some mixed-use. There are already over 260 acres zoned for multifamily on the site.
The developer signed an agreement to build significant infrastructure as part of the project, including miles of new roads, utilities, drainage facilities, and open space.
PMB Capital Investments is the primary landowner in this area.
Bella Flora, the only surrounding neighbor, is excited about the development and working on mutual access with Veale Ranch.
The project has been in negotiation with the city for over 18 months.
The base land uses proposed match up generally with existing zoning entitlements.

So, why did ZC deny their waiver request?

____________________________________

Zoning Commission 1/10/24

Site Plan Waiver: Denied | Zoning Case: Approved

PMB Capital requested a rezone of 710 acres to planned development as part of the larger mixed-use community. As part of the rezoning request, the developer sought a waiver of the typical site plan requirement.

Despite a prior approved development agreement approved by Council, the Zoning Commission voted unanimously to deny a request for a site plan waiver. They cited concerns over density, infrastructure, and lack of clarity. But most importantly, the Commission felt they had been left out of the approval process for the project’s concept plan. The concept plan was part of the development agreement approved by Council, but it had not been shared with ZC. PMB’s Taylor Baird questioned why the Commission hadn’t received the plan as it was already submitted to Fort Worth.

Zoning Commission members still felt strongly that the specifics of a binding site plan were necessary even though City Council had already negotiated and approved a development agreement tied to a concept plan.

Chair Willie Rankin set the tone for the discussion, questioning the developer’s reverence for getting Zoning Commission approval. It appeared as though Rankin felt that PMB went over ZC’s head by going straight to Council although standard approval processes were followed.

Willie Rankin Zoning Commission District 2 QQA

❝

‟From our perspective and the public’s, that’s a lot of acreage without a clear understanding of what’s being developed.

Willie Rankin, Chair, Zoning Commission, Fort Worth

The lack of a site plan made the Commission worried about the intensity of uses and stress on roads and utilities. Commissioner Beth Welch made the motion to require a site plan and deny PMB’s waiver request. Welch cited consistency across cases, "really no information on this," and lack of preparation. The Commission voted 8-0 to deny the request to require a site plan before the zoning change can take effect.